Committee of the Whole - 6/15/2026

The City of Bloomington, Illinois Committee of the Whole met on June 15, 2026, primarily to discuss the city's water supply and infrastructure. The meeting featured a detailed presentation by city staff and consultants from Farnsworth on the current water sources, including Lake Bloomington, Evergreen Lake, and the Mackinaw River, as well as ongoing and planned capital improvement projects such as water main replacements and lead service line removals. The discussion emphasized the need to update the safe yield study of the water supply, last conducted in 2009, to better understand current capacity and future needs amid community growth and drought conditions. The council was informed about potential large-scale projects like dredging Lake Bloomington, developing groundwater from the Mahomet Aquifer, and exploring the Illinois River as a supplemental water source, with rough cost estimates provided. The meeting also covered efforts to reduce non-revenue water through meter replacements and leak detection, with a focus on improving system efficiency and water loss metrics. No formal votes on contracts or budget allocations were recorded, but the council was advised that proposals for further studies and capital projects would be forthcoming. Additional city updates included a data center moratorium planning, parking improvements, and community events.